


Wishes come true, not free

by comicc_bookk_jawnss



Category: Into the Woods (2014), Into the Woods - Sondheim/Lapine, The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Comfort/Angst, F/F, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Revisionist Fairy Tale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28479495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comicc_bookk_jawnss/pseuds/comicc_bookk_jawnss
Summary: Dani is running from her prince when she meets a stranger in the woods. A stranger who will change her life.Into The Woods-inspired fairytale AU
Relationships: Dani Clayton & Jamie, Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	1. Moments in the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> So, I rewatched Into The Woods the other day, and then this... happened. Here's Act 1. Once upon a time, I guess...

##  _Night One of The Ball_

Dani was running. She wasn’t sure why. But she was running into the woods. And then she was screaming. And then she was falling. And then she was face-to-face with a stranger she was straddling, a woman.

“In a hurry then?”

She had a local accent, though quite a bit less pretentious than that of the lot Dani had just been bumping elbows with. Dani could feel her cheeks burning as she clumsily pushed herself off of the woman.

“I - I’m so sorry.” Dani offered her hand, which the stranger took after a moment’s hesitation.

“No worries.” She smiled easily, but then cleared her throat and looked down. “Leavin’ - ”

“Did you _fall out of_ that tree?”

The words were out Dani’s mouth before she could stop herself, and her cheeks burned even more furiously. She’d not only cut the woman off, but with a question as ridiculous as that. The woman looked back up, the corners of her lips twitching. Dani tried to salvage her dignity.

“I - ”

But now it was her turn to get cut off.

“I didn’t _fall_ down. I _jumped_ down.” The woman smirked. “Tried to, anyway.”

How was _this_ turning into the most humiliating moment of Dani’s life — Dani who’d served for nearly a decade now as a dutiful punching bag for her stepsisters and stepmother. Seeing her distress, the woman’s smiled softened. She took a step closer.

“S’all right, really. Now I know to look for strange women runnin’ through the woods in the middle ah the night before I jump.”

Dani laughed and immediately felt herself relax, a bit anyway.

“So, the ball... leavin’ already?”

Dani cocked her head. _How could she have known that?_ As if reading her mind, the woman nodded at her, looking down. Dani looked down and, once again, felt like an idiot.

“Oh... right.” She pulled nervously at the folds in her ballgown. “Umm... “

Before she could even try to explain, she suddenly couldn’t if she wanted to. She froze as she heard hoofbeats and shouting in the distance. Then, she turned around and saw him. He was far away for now, but he wouldn’t stay that way. Dani whipped back around.

“I was never here.”

“What?”

She’d just passed the woman, but something made Dani turn back. She took the woman’s hand.

“Please.”

The woman looked down at their hands, then up at Dani, and Dani saw a vulnerability in her eyes she hadn’t noticed before. The woman nodded, but Dani didn’t let go... until the hoofbeats snapped her back to reality. She tore her eyes and her hand away at the same time and took off into the woods.

##  _Night Two of The Ball_

“Back for more?”

Dani smiled, recognizing the voice instantly. She hadn’t taken the same route by accident. She slowed to a stop and looked around.

“Up here.”

The tree, _of course_. Dani looked up to find her climbing down onto the bottom branch. The woman smiled and swung down but hung on.

“If ya wanna bowl me over again, now’s your chance.”

Dani laughed and looked down.

“Take a few more steps back. You’ll need a runnin’ start.”

Dani laughed even harder, feeling her cheeks start to burn again. The woman let go, landing a couple feet from her. Dani looked up again.

“You - ”

“You - ”

“Sorry.”

“Sorry.”

They even laughed simultaneously.

“Go on,” the woman said, nodding at her.

“You live here?”

“In the woods? No.”

There was that smirk again. Dani could feel herself blushing. The woman decided to let her off the hook with a laugh.

“I live in Bly.”

Well, that explained it. Bly was a few villages over from Dani’s. That’s why they’d never met... because Dani was quite sure she would’ve remembered her.

“And you?”

“Oh, I’m not - ”

There it was again, even faster than last night. The prince must’ve prepared for her untimely exit this time. There was something rather charming about that, she thought. Was that the right word? Certainly, no one else had ever tried so hard to pursue her.

Most people, in fact, had tried hard to be rid of her — her stepmother, stepsisters, her father even, on some level. Or at least he hadn’t tried hard enough to protect her.

“We can hide.”

Evidently, the woman had spoken without thinking. Dani could see her blushing, even in the dim moonlight.

“Okay.”

Dani too spoke without thinking, particularly about what she was wearing.

“Give them to me.”

_Could this woman literally read her mind?_ Dani took off her golden slippers and handed them over. The woman — dressed far more sensibly, far closer to how Dani normally dressed, though rather more like a boy — crouched down and placed them in a notch at the base of the tree and covered them with leaves.

“Okay.”

She stood back up but remained bent over slightly and put out her hands, cupping them. The hoofbeats and shouting was getting closer, but there was another problem with Dani’s apparel.

“Oh... here... ”

The woman untied the bandana she’d been wearing in her hair. Dani had always hated her own, the one she only wore when she was cleaning. But the woman’s, it rather suited her, Dani thought. The woman had wrapped it a couple times and was now tying it over her eyes.

“Okay, up ya go.”

The woman put her hands out once more, giving Dani a crooked smile. Relieved the woman couldn’t see her blushing furiously, Dani gripped her shoulders, put a foot in her hands and pushed off. The woman did most of the work, though. Dani barely had to pull herself onto the bottom branch.

“All right?”

Dani was on the second branch climbing to the third now.

“Yeah... but how will you - ?”

She looked down to the find woman, still blindfolded, already pulling herself onto the bottom branch. Dani was so impressed she nearly slipped and fell on top of her... again. Clearing her throat, Dani refocused and kept climbing, but by the time, she’d reached the fifth branch...

“Can we... I need to... “

She was breathing heavily now, and not just from the exertion. Closing her eyes, she leaned her back against the trunk but left her legs dangling off the side, like she was riding sidesaddle.

“’Course. Still all right?”

She heard the woman pull herself onto the same branch.

“I’m just... not the best with heights.”

“Oh... sorry.”

Dani laughed nervously.

“Not your fault. It was a good plan... but... ”

Dani could hear the hoofbeats and shouting getting closer. The prince and his men were almost upon them.

“Oh, they won’t find us. People rarely look up... ”

Dani had been about to object, but she supposed the woman had a point. After all, she hadn’t seen _her_ in the tree, this night or last.

“That’s why like it up here.”

Dani opened her eyes. The woman, sitting sideways a few feet farther down the branch, was staring into the night, or at least she would’ve been if she weren’t still blindedfolded. Just then the riders passed right below. Sure enough, they continued on, left unawares. Dani sighed.

“So, you were sayin’... ”

Dani smiled.

“You can take that off now.”

Clearing her throat, the woman lowered her makeshift blindfold, letting it hang loosely around her neck, then swung a leg over the branch so she could face Dani.

“I’m not from here,” Dani continued. “I moved here... near here as a teenager.”

“Don’t care for it?”

Dani laughed.

“Am I that easy to read?”

“No.” The woman wasn’t laughing. “Just... just had a feeling.”

Dani wasn’t even sure why she’d told the woman this much. She had a feeling, too, she supposed. She looked away but kept going.

“It’s not the place, as much as the people — well, a few people.”

“Me?”

“Oh, no, no... ”

Dani looked back at the woman in a panic, only to find her smirking. Dani laughed softly.

“Edmund?”

Well, this woman was full of surprises. Dani hadn’t even addressed the prince as such. Once again, the woman answered a question she hadn’t asked — and this time, with a wink.

“I work there. I’m allowed to call him that.”

“You work at the palace?”

Dani instinctively looked back it. Its towers could still be seen from this distance and rather better from this height.

“I’m a gardener.”

Granted, it had been dark, but Dani had quite admired the grounds. Part of her had wanted to roam them alone instead of going inside.

“And you know... ”

“Eddie? Oh god, no... only by reputation.”

“And?”

The woman scoffed. Dani looked down, feeling her cheeks flush.

“Sorry, I - I shouldn’a... Do _you_ know him?”

“Not really... sort of.” Dani sighed and looked back up. “I don’t know.”

The woman inched forward a bit on the branch. But she didn’t pry. She was waiting, Dani realized. Dani couldn’t remember ever being paid this much attention — and not just _attention_.

There was something else in the way the woman was looking at her. It was like she was actually seeing Dani, not just what she wanted to see, or what Dani wanted her to see, for that matter.

And so, Dani found herself telling a perfect stranger a story she’d never told anyone.

***

“So you you think you’d happier livin’ in the palace... livin’ with the prince?”

“Well, I’d be away from them... and he seems nice... for a prince, I guess.”

“Nice is different than good.”

Dani didn’t know what to say to that. She looked down.

“I should - ”

“Why d’ya keep runnin’ away if it’s what you really want?”

Dani swallowed.

“It’s a big decision.”

“Not bein’ able to decide isn’t the same as not wantin’ to accept what you’ve decided.”

“You don’t know what it’s like!”

It came out rather rawer than Dani had intended. She could feel the woman jump slightly. Dani’s voice grew quieter.

“To be wanted... like... ”

“You’re right.”

Her voice was quieter now, too; and suddenly, Dani realized what she had said, or rather, how it must have sounded.

“It’s late.”

Dani heard the woman clear her throat and looked up to find her rubbing her face.

“Wait, that’s not what I - ”

“S’all right.”

She tried for a smile, but Dani knew what her real smile looked like. The woman swung her leg over and looked down.

“No, it’s not. I’m - ”

Dani inched toward the woman, instinctively. She couldn’t leave things like this. Clearly, she’d struck a nerve.

“I’ll go first.”

Dani reached out a hand.

“Wait, please! I’m - ”

Her attempted act of contrition was suddenly interrupted by screaming, her own. Under their combined weight, the thinner part of the branch had snapped off, sending them hurtling toward the forest floor.

“Hold on!”

Dani felt quick but assured hands grab her waist and throw her upwards, just high enough for her to grab the bottom branch and hold on for dear life. After a few moments, the shock began to wear off. She looked around, catching her breath, until it caught in her throat.

The woman was lying motionless on the ground just a little to her right, eyes closed. The lump forming in her throat was making breathing even more difficult. She could feel her grip loosening on the branch.

“Jump down, will ya? I want to open my eyes.”

Dani tried to laugh but it sounded more like wheezing. She did as she was asked. The woman opened her eyes to find Dani hovering over her, practically hyperventilating.

“You okay?”

“Me?!”

Dani’s subsequent coughing fit rather undermined her retort. The woman scrambled to stand and started rubbing Dani’s back.

“Easy... easy. Deep breaths.”

Dani looked up and saw the woman demonstrating. She tried to copy her, and sure enough, her breathing began regulating.

“There ya go... Good.”

Their eyes were synced, too. The woman’s were hazel. Dani hadn’t noticed that before. She swallowed.

“I’m - ”

“If you say that one more time - ”

“But I haven’t even said it!”

After a moment, the woman laughed — so hard she took her hand off Dani’s back, took a step back and clapped the hand to her face, folding her other arm across her chest. Dani was laughing, too, now.

It felt good making her laughing. For as witty as the woman was, something told Dani she hadn’t laughed much in her life, not out of true amusement, anyway.

And as it was, she was only returning the favor. Dani couldn’t remember the last time someone had made laugh half as much as she had these past two nights. And she thought, perhaps no one ever had.

Once she’d composed herself marginally, the woman nodded at Dani, smiling to keep herself from laughing. Dani cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry... for what I said. I didn’t mean it... not, like that.”

The woman’s smile turned rather shy, but remained warm.

“Apology accepted.”

Dani sighed, not realizing she’d been holding her breath again. She looked down at her bare feet.

“And, you know, for... “

“Makin’ me fall out a tree twice in two days.”

Dani looked up, smiling helplessly. The woman laughed again, but then cried out, grabbing the side of her torso. Dani rushed over gripping her shoulder and placing her other hand over the woman’s.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine.”

Her closed eyes and sharp breaths painted a decidedly different picture.

“You need a - ”

The woman felt Dani freeze, tense up.

“What?”

“They’re coming back.”

“Who?”

But as she said it, she heard the familiar echoes, then Dani take a deep breath.

“Don’t... don’t!”

The woman collapsed before she could clap a hand over Dani’s mouth.

##  _Day Three of The Ball_

“Woah... Easy. Easy!”

The woman felt Dani grip her shoulders and felt the linens wrapped around her ribs tighten as she sat up in a cot, which Dani was sitting on the side of.

“You’re in the infirmary... at the palace.”

Jamie had never been in this part of the palace, never been past the basement. She looked out the nearly floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the room. The grounds, she recognized. She sighed and lied back down, staring at the absurdly ornate ceiling. Dani released her grip.

“I thought I said - ”

“I wasn’t just going to leave you there.”

“But I didn’t _want_ \- ”

“Jamie!”

The woman’s mouth hung open. Her planned retort was superceded by a new development.

“How... ”

Dani blushed, realizing her slip-up.

“He... knows you, after all.”

Jamie finally looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Dani sighed and looked out the window.

“Okay, fine. One of the guards out front, Finley, I think. He recognized you.”

“I should hope so, for all the starin’ he does.”

Dani tried to stifle a laugh. Feeling Jamie’s eyes on her, Dani turned back. Jamie was smiling.

“Suppose I owe ya a ‘thank you.’”

“Hardly... but I’ll take it.”

Dani smiled back. But saw the woman’s fade as her eyes traveled down to Dani’s hand. Dani pulled it away too late and faced forward again.

“How long have I been out?”

Dani looked down.

“It’s just an engagement ring.”

“Just?”

“It all happened very fast. You - you looked really bad, and - ”

The woman’s look of shock grew both more tender and more tortured.

“Wait, you - you agreed... for me?”

Dani wrung her hands.

“It was the only... ” Her voice was getting dangerously fragile. She took a shaky breath. “The only way he would bring you... with us.”

She saw Jamie’s hand reach out and gently cup hers, rub her thumb across them. Dani looked back and saw a question in Jamie’s eyes.

“Dani. It’s Dani.”

“Dani... ” She sounded melancholy, yet exhilarated. “Dani, I - I don’t know what to - ”

Dani cut her off, yet her again. But not with words this time.

When Dani pulled back after a few moments, cupping Jamie’s face, Jamie, her hands now on Dani’s back, couldn’t have said anything if she’d wanted to. Dani tried for smile, but she could feel tears gathering in her eyes.

“I’ll come back to check on you later, okay?”

With that, Dani stood up in one swift motion, slipping through Jamie’s fingers, and walked out the door, refusing to let Jamie see the tears running down her face.

It was only then that Jamie noticed Dani was still wearing the dress — the same dirt-stained, torn-up dress. Dani had stayed with her the whole time.


	2. Ever After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Dani and Jamie ponder their futures, a new threat looms.

#  _Night Three of The Ball_

“Dani?”

Jamie wasn’t sure why she was whispering. She’d just knocked loudly on the door and opened it, though not enough to look in.

“Jamie?!”

Dani didn’t feel the need to whisper, or talk at a normal volume. Jamie laughed softly.

“Ya decent?”

“Umm… I’m... come in.”

Jamie slipped inside, closing the thick wooden door behind her. The room looked exactly as she might’ve expected a bedroom in the palace to look — far more than decadent and far less than elegant. The closet was overflowing with ball gowns, as was the bed. The only thing Jamie didn’t see was Dani.

“How did you find me?”

Jamie realized she’d missed the obvious. Dani was hidden behind the room divider in the corner, presumably getting changed. Suddenly, Jamie felt like she was intruding. Her cheeks heating up, she turned back to the door.

“Not that I’m not glad... that you found me!”

Jamie’s hand froze on the doorknob. She smiled slightly and turned back, clearing her throat.

“I, uh, I guess I’m just good at guessin’.

“Seriously?”

Dani sounded surprised, yet also like she actually believed her, believed that her intuition could really be that good. Jamie’s cheeks were burning now. She scratched the back of her neck.

“No, I kinda just kept checkin’ rooms until... ”

“Oh... ”

Dani’s voice had jumped an octave, which was saying something. She stepped out from behind the room divider, flushed but smiling.

“Yeah, I wanted to... to see you before the...”

Jamie had seen her in a ball gown. In fact, she’d only _ever_ seen in a ball gown. But it was different now, now that she knew.

“What do you think?”

She wasn’t being coy. It was obvious from her tone, her body language — the way she was pulling at the folds just as she had the night they’d met.

“Does look a bit like you’re tryna scandalize the village.”

“What?” Dani whipped her head up, eyes wide, eyebrows raised, cheeks getting redder by the second. “It was the plainest one I could find!”

“Hey, hey.” Jamie stepped closer to her. “I’m just kiddin.’”

It took Dani a moment to process what she’d said, and then she relaxed, though her cheeks didn’t quite get the memo. 

“You look... you look good.”

Dani smiled brightly. Jamie cleared her throat.

“Ya comfortable, though?”

“Oh, it’s not that tight.”

“No, I mean... ”

Dani cocked her head, her smiling fading. Jamie took a deep breath and stepped forward again, until she was just a couple feet from Dani. She found herself whispering again.

“Look, we can... we can get outta here. I’m fine.”

Dani looked down and stepped back.

“I said... I said would... ”

“You don’t owe him anything.”

“He saved your life.”

“So he’d have leverage over _you_!”

Dani looked back up at her, stung. It wasn’t new information, of course, but it clearly hurt more coming from Jamie. Jamie softened, stepping even closer.

“Please, I don’t want you to do this for my sake.”

“And what if I’m doing it for my own?”

“You’re not.”

“How do you know?”

Jamie closed the distance between them, slowly brought her hands up to cup Dani’s face and leaned forward until their foreheads touched, closing her eyes.

“Are ya?”

She felt Dani sigh.

“How?”

It was barely a whisper. Jamie pulled back, just slightly, and opened her eyes. 

“The ball, tonight. We’ll slip out in the crowd.”

Dani nodded, more to herself than to Jamie, then opened her eyes.

“And then what... where?”

“Anywhere. Anywhere you want you. I don’t care... as long as I’m with you.”

Finally, Dani smiled. And Jamie suddenly became very aware of the fact that her hands were still cupping Dani’s face. She laughed shyly and slowly lowered them to her sides, pulling at the dirty tunic she was still wearing.

“So which dress?”

Jamie jerked her head back up.

“What?”

*****

“Here, try these on.”

They’d settled on a dress — black, simple. Needless to say, Jamie had never been one for high-fashion, but she’d taken Dani’s audible gasp as a good sign. Now, Dani was crouched down, offering her a golden slipper.

“Aren’t those yours?”

Dani shrugged.

“We’re the same size.”

“No, I - don’t _you_ want to wear them?”

Dani smiled.

“They go better with your dress.”

Jamie looked up to hide her blushing. Taking that as her cue, Dani gently lifted Jamie’s right foot and slipped the heel on.

“Oh my god.”

Jamie heard Dani try to stifle a laugh.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Jamie could hear the amusement in her voice.

“Dani.”

“They’re... they’re too small.”

Dani giggled, while Jamie’s cheeks burned.

“Oh, umm... You take them then. I’ll look for bigger ones.”

Dani’s laughter trailed off.

“No, no... can’t you feel it?”

Jamie had never once in her life worn heels. _What was she supposed to feel, aside from discomfort?_ Dani looked up at her curiously.

“Your _feet_ — they’re too small. They’ll pop right out.”

Jamie looked down at her right foot. She supposed there was a bit of gap between the back of her heel and the back of the shoe.

“Go ahead, try to walk.”

Dani turned sideways, clearing Jamie’s path. She took a few steps forward. Granted, it was awkward walking with one foot bare, but decidedly more awkward was Jamie’s other foot, all but her toes, lifting out of the shoe with each step, while the heel dragged along the floor.

By the third step, she was losing her balance. Before she’d even thought to ask for help, she felt Dani’s hands on her back and elbow, steadying her. Jamie cleared her throat and stepped out the shoe.

“Thank you.”

Jamie turned around to face her. Dani released her grip. She was smiling sweetly, but her eyes gave her away. Jamie rolled her own.

“All right, it’s not that funny.”

“Of course not.”

Dani crouched down and picked up the discarded shoe.

“Cute, though.”

Dani stood back up just in time to catch Jamie’s reaction. She didn’t linger on it, though, turning around to survey the other shoes Edmund had had brought up to her. But in the mirror beside the room divider, Jamie saw Dani’s reflection, smiling and blushing quite as violently as her own reflection was.

*****

In the end, Jamie wore her own shoes. Aside from their color, the scuffed-up boots didn’t match her dress at all. But she rather liked the dichotomy, and she would be able to walk in them, which as far as she was concerned, was the purpose of shoes.

Admittedly, though, Dani’s golden slippers were quite mesmerizing, all the more because of the satisfying clicks they made against the marble ballroom floor. Jamie didn’t even realize she was counting them in her head as Dani led the way, inconspicuously holding Jamie’s hand within the folds of their gowns.

“Almost there.”

Jamie squeezed Dani’s hand in recognition and looked up. They’d waited just long enough for a crowd to form. The ball would be starting fashionably late, but they wanted to be long gone before Edmund realized his now-fiancée had run off yet again.

Just steps from freedom, someone grabbed Jamie’s free hand, forcefully pulled her back and twirled her around. Torn from Dani, Jamie found herself face-to-face with a familiar face.

“And who... might you be?”

Jamie wrenched her hand away as Dani joined them.

“Oh, hello, darling!”

The worst part was his smug grin remained infuriatingly intact. Actually, no, that wasn’t the worst part.

“Well... introduce me.”

Edmund looked at Dani expectantly.

Jamie groaned. She couldn’t have cared less about the slight against her. But she would never stand to see Dani disrespected. Fortunately for Edmund, Dani actually did know Jamie.

Seeing her tense up, Dani had gripped the back of Jamie’s dress, subtlety but effectively keeping her in place, hence the groan. Edmund didn’t seem to notice.

“It’s Jamie, Your Highness.”

Edmund raised an eyebrow.

“Your gardener.”

Edmund cocked his head.

“The woman in the woods.”

Well-practiced as Dani was in the art of civility under duress, Jamie could hear her voice beginning to strain.

“Oh, yes, of course... I don’t remember inviting you.”

Jamie laughed before she could stop herself but managed to turn it into a cough. Edmund stepped back as if her broken ribs had given her an infectious disease.

“My apologies, Your Highness, that my was my doing... ”

Edmund raised an eyebrow again, rather less comically this time.

“I - ”

“She thought it would be good for ma health. Physician said I needed to get up and about.”

Jamie felt Dani take her hand off her back and slyly retake her hand, squeezing it. Edmund didn’t look totally convinced, but he didn’t press further.

“Darling, I need you.”

Edmund reached out and took Dani’s other hand.

“Actually... ” Dani turned to her. “Jamie was going to give me a tour of the grounds.”

Jamie squeezed her hand. 

“They’ll be plenty of time for that after the wedding.”

With that, Edmund pulled Dani away just as he’d done to Jamie. But the pair maintained eye contact, seeing their expression mirrored on the other’s face. Then, Dani turned to her fiancé.

“Tonight?”

“Why wait?”

“Wha - what about... the planning?”

“All taken care of. I wanted to surprise you.”

Edmund smiled, quite proud of what he clearly thought was a grand romantic gesture. He leaned in but Dani put a hand on his chest.

“We should wait... for the wedding. It’ll be more special that way.”

Dani put on a brilliant fake smile. Edmund’s was much less convincing.

“Of course.”

Dani turned back to Jamie. Reality setting in was painful enough but seeing it set in for Jamie was so much worse. Worse still was what she wasn’t seeing. 

Jamie looked frustrated, heartbroken, devastated, but not surprised. There was a resignation in her eyes, as if she’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And drop it did, a few miles away. They heard a rumbling first, then the floor shook and cracked beneath them. Edmund fell back, while Dani fell into Jamie — who gasped in pain, closing her eyes — but caught her nonetheless.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!”

Jamie laughed softly.

“It’s okay.”

When she opened her eyes, they looked right into Dani’s, ignoring the screaming, shoving, dust and debris reigning down as cracks opened up in the ceiling. But then, in her periphery, she saw Emund sit up.

“Now’s our chance... ”

She cleared her throat and looked away.

“If you still - ”

“I do.”

Jamie turned back, cracking her crooked smile. She could tell Dani hadn’t realized what she was saying until after she’d said it by her blushing. But by her smile, Jamie could see that Dani also didn’t really care.

Dani flung off her slippers, one of which purely coincidentally sent Emund hurtling back to the floor. Then, she took off, retracing a well-worn route, but for the first time, not alone.

***

“Jamie! Jamie!”

Dani and Jamie hadn’t been in the woods long, though long enough they’d stopped running. Edmund had bigger worries, it seemed.

Since speed was no longer of the essence, Jamie had offered to carry Dani, on account of her being unable to lend Dani her shoes, but a blushing Dani had reassured her than she was fine — infinitely more comfortable going barefoot than she had been running in heels the previous two nights, and quite set on letting Jamie’s ribs heal.

“Mikey?” Jamie gasped in surprise, but mostly pain, as a boy ran into her, throwing his arms around her.

With her free hand, she rubbed his back as he began to sob.

“It’s all my fault!”

With a furrowed brow, Jamie glanced over at Dani, who looked equally perplexed. She let go of Jamie’s hand. The boy looked about eight and was dressed similarly to how Jamie had been.

Jamie crouched down, pulling Mikey back just enough to look at him. He was caked in dirt and sporting a few cuts.

“What d’ya mean, Mikey? What happened?”

“I - I didn’t... mean to!”

His voice cracked. Jamie cupped his cheek, brushing away tears.

“Hey, hey, look at me... look at me... it’s okay... I just want to help ya.”

Mikey looked down, shaking his head.

“It’s too late.”

“Too late for what?”

“It’s gone.”

“What is?” Dani chimed in, resting a hand on Jamie’s shoulder as she crouched down beside her.

“Home!”

#  _The Way It Came_

Jamie woke up with her head on Dani’s shoulder.

It had taken a while to get the whole story. They’d waited for Mikey to calm down before trying again and taken several breaks, not wanting to push him. And as it was, they still had trouble wrapping their heads around it. But, in essence, a giant had descended from a beanstalk Mikey had accidentally grown, causing the mysterious tremors, then destroyed Bly. Her current whereabouts were unclear.

They’d tried to get moving again but quickly realized it was a futile effort with Mikey as exhausted as he was. He’d fallen asleep almost immediately after resting his head in Jamie’s lap, and it was then that she and Dani had had a chance to talk, sitting against a tree.

“I’m so sorry, Jamie.”

Jamie sighed.

“Never thought I would’a missed it, really... but now that’s it’s gone.”

She took a shaky breath and felt Dani take her hand. She heard Dani breathe in, and out of the corner of her eye, saw Dani open her mouth, hesitate, then close it again.

“Mikey’s ma neighbor... or _was_ , I guess.”

Dani nodded. Jamie smiled and turned to her.

“He’s like the little brother I never had.”

Dani smiled poignantly. It was only in hindsight that she’d realized how much their conversations tended to focus on her. She’d wanted to return the favor but also figured, correctly, that Jamie didn’t talk about herself for a reason.

“It was entirely his doin’.” Jamie laughed and faced forward again. “I don’t know if he doesn’t understand what people say about me... or just doesn’t care, but... ”

She cleared her throat and turned back to Dani.

“You should get some rest, too.”

 _The sky was getting lighter. The sun would be rising soon._ That’s the last thing Jamie remembered thinking before she woke up, blinking as sunlight streamed in through the trees.

She jerked her head up off of Dani’s shoulder, blushing further when she realized Dani’s arm was wrapped around her own shoulder.

“Sorry.”

Dani smiled.

“I’m not.”

Jamie smiled shyly, then looked down at Mikey. He was still asleep. Before she could ask Dani if she thought they should wake him, she didn’t have to.

“There you are!”

Mikey sat up in alarm, then tried to scramble back. Unfortunately for Jamie, she was sitting between Mikey and the tree.

“Denny,” she gasped, gently shifting Mikey to sit beside her, but keeping her arms around him. “What d’ya want?”

Denny, similarly caked in dirt and sporting a few cuts, looked about 16.

“Mikey. I’m turnin’ ’im over to the giant.”

Jamie laughed and tried to stand, but then gasped again. Dani, arm still around her, stood up, gently lifting Jamie with her.

“That’s not gonna happen, mate.”

Denny laughed.

“Oh, you’re gonna stop me, are ya?”

“Why would the giant even want Mikey?”

Denny raised an eyebrow and looked down at Mikey.

“Oh-ho, so you haven’t told them, then?”

“Told us what?” Dani asked.

Denny turned to her, smiling smugly.

“Mikey _stole_ from them.”

Mikey shot up.

“Only because you dared me to!”

“And that’s an excuse?!”

“You didn’t believe me!”

Mikey’s voice broke. Jamie put a hand on his shoulder.

“Doesn’t matter now.”

“Doesn’t matter?!” That was Denny.

“He made a mistake. And so did you.”

“Mistake?” Denny smirked. “Thought that was _your_ nickname.”

“That’s enough.”

Dani stepped in front of Jamie, glaring at Denny.

“Where’s the giant now?” Jamie asked.

Denny leaned sideways to look around Dani.

“Back home. She agreed to stop if I brought Mikey to ’er.”

Mikey perked up.

“Stop? So it’s not... she didn’t?”

Denny glared at him.

“No thanks to you.”

Mikey looked down. Jamie squeezed his shoulder. For a few moments, no one said anything, then Jamie looked back Denny

“Did you bring up Mikey or did the giant?”

“What difference does that make?”

“Just answer the question, Denny.”

Dani turned around to face Jamie, intrigued. Denny sighed.

“Fine. _I_ did.”

“And, Mikey, did she actually see ya? Have any of the giants seen ya?”

Mikey looked up at her and thought for a moment.

“I don’t think so... Why?”

*****

“So you’re... Mikey?”

Jamie smiled up at the giant.

“And you are...?”

The giant grunted.

“Where’s the gold?”

“The what?”

Jamie put a hand behind her ear.

“Bring it to me! Or I’ll - ”

“Kill me? Aren’t ya gonna do that anyway, love?”

Before the giant could grab Jamie, a whistle rang out and birds descended on the giant’s head, swirling around her. As she swiped at them instead, Jamie stole a quick look behind her to the edge of the woods. Dani took her fingers out her mouth and winked.

Jamie gawked at her. When she’d asked Dani to distract the giant if needed, this was not exactly what she’d envisioned. She shook her head and turned around. That was a discussion for another time.

“Look, I don’t have your gold, okay?”

The birds flew away and the giant looked back down at Jamie.

“Liar! The boy said so!”

The giant looked behind her at Bly, but Denny was nowhere to be seen. No one was. Most had fled long ago, and Jamie had had Denny check for any stranglers, while she’d been talking, before retreating back into the woods himself.

“Ya mean the boy whose village you were destroyin’?”

The giant went to respond but evidently couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Why d’ya think you have gold missing anyway?”

“Because it was _stolen_!” 

“So ya saw someone take it, then?”

The giant grunted.

“Sorry was that a ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”

“We’re missing gold!”

“How d’ya know?”

The giant grunted once more.

“I won’t warn you again… “

“How much gold do you lot have, anyway?”

“What?”

“Like total, all-time, all the gold you’ve ever acquired — how much?”

“How should I know?”

“You don’t count it, then?”

“Why would we do that?”

“I dunno. I don’t have gold, do I? I don’t know what people do with it.”

Before Jamie or Dani could react, the giant had snatched up Jamie. As Jamie cried out in pain, the giant brought her to her face.

“I told you.”

“Wait, please,” Jamie gasped. “I have a point, I swear.”

After a moment, the giant grunted. Taking that as the go-ahead, Jamie pressed on, still struggling to breathe.

“If you don’t know... how much gold you have... then how d’ya know… any was taken?”

Far closer to a giant’s eye than she had ever wanted to be, Jamie saw the anger in it melt away — first replaced by shock, next by confusion and then by shame. A moment later, she was being lowered to the ground.

“I’m sorry for… and for… ” 

She gestured to Bly, which was admittedly looking a bit worse for wear but far better than she and Mikey had originally imagined. 

“Please let me offer you gold to help with the repairs.”

Jamie managed to hold back a laugh.

“Oh, no, that’s not necessary. Let’s just, uh… let’s just agree your lot will stay up there.” Jamie pointed to the sky. “And my lot will stay down here, yeah?”

The giant nodded.

“Goodbye, Mikey.”

“Turrah.”

Jamie waved as the giant climbed back up the beanstalk, clearing the clouds in a manner of seconds, then fell to her knees and grabbed her side, breathing heavily.

“You okay?”

Dani was already at her side, one hand rubbing Jamie’s back, the other gripping her shoulder.

“I can’t... believe… that worked.”

“You didn’t think that would work?”

Jamie turned to Dani, who looked appalled. She laughed, then gasped. 

“Sorry!”

Dani looked so horrified that it was inadvertently hilarious. Jamie bit her lip.

“Please stop... makin’ me laugh.”

“S- ” Dani smiled sheepishly, then cleared her throat. “You really didn’t think that would work, though?”

“Why d’ya think... I got Denny... to clear everyone out?”

Dani gaped at her, then furrowed her brow.

“Then, why did you do it?”

Jamie shrugged, her breathing beginning to slow.

“Only plan I could think of.”

She pulled up her knees and sat back against Dani, who was shaking her head in awe, then leaned her head on Dani’s shoulder. 

“That was amazin’!”

Mikey was beaming down at them. 

“I totally thought you were gonna get eaten, but then you didn’t!”

Jamie laughed, then gasped. Mikey didn’t seem to notice and knelt down to hug her.

“Thank ya… for savin’ me.”  
  
Jamie smiled.   
  
“Anytime.”

As he pulled back, Jamie rubbed the top of his head, teasing his already unruly hair. Mikey laughed, then stood up and turned toward the village.

“Hold up.”

Mikey turned back.

“What are ya not gonna do again?”

Mikey looked down his feet, smiling sheepishly.

“Steal.”

“Or?”

“Climb the beanstalk.”

“Or?”

“Grow a beanstalk.” Mikey looked back up. “But it really was an accident!”

Jamie smiled.

“I know, I know. Just messin’ with ya.”

Mikey smiled, relaxing.

“But seriously, don’t.”

Mikey laughed, nodding.

“And hey, what I did today - ”

“Don’t try it. Lyin’ is bad.”

Jamie smiled. 

“But ya didn’t, though.”

“Mikey… “

“I returned it! While you were talkin’! The gold!”

“What?”

Mikey smiled proudly.

Jamie sat up to look at Dani.

“Thought he was with _you_?”

Dani looked down guiltily.

“I’m sorry. He said he wanted to go to his parents.”

Jamie turned to back Mikey.

“Mikey! What’d we just say about lyin’?!”

“But I did the right thing!”

“What if you’d gotten hurt? What if she’d seen ya?!”

“Why would she look up?”

It wasn’t a retort. He asked it matter-of-factly. And Jamie couldn’t argue with her own logic. She smiled.

“Go on, then.”

Grinning, Mikey turned on his heel and ran off. A woman called over to him. She looked about a decade older than Dani and Jamie. After speaking with her for a moment, Mikey ran off again, and the woman looked over at them. 

Dani saw her nod curtly to Jamie and Jamie nod back, then felt her blood boil as the woman turned away.

“What?!”

“What?” 

Leaning on Dani, Jamie slowly stood up. 

“You saved her son’s life!” 

Jamie turned around to face Dani and smiled.

“She knows that.”

“Yeah!”

“That’s good enough for me.”

Dani had already opened her mouth to interject again, but then she processed what Jamie said and softened.

“You really are amazing.”

Jamie looked down.

“I dunno.” She cleared her throat. “Can’t control birds with ma mind.”

The corners of mouth twitched as she looked back up to find Dani blushing.

“It’s not like that!”

Jamie smirked.

“All right then, keep your secrets.”

Dani laughed.

“I’m not - ”

By the time Jamie pulled back, Dani had completely forgotten what she’d been trying to say. Jamie had not.

“Tell me now?”

Dani rolled her eyes, giggling.

“Uh, Jamie?”

Jamie, arms still flung around Dani’s shoulders, turned to find Denny, looking away and scratching the back of his neck. Jamie let go of Dani and fully turned to face him. 

“Denny.”

“I wasn’t… didn’t mean to intrude… I just… ” He cleared his throat, lowered his hand to his side and looked at her. “I just wanted to say thank you... and I’m sorry... for what I said earlier... Well, not just then, I - ”

Denny trailed off as Jamie extended her hand.

“Apology accepted.”

Seeing Denny hesitate, shell-shocked, Jamie smiled. Denny started to smile back after a moment, then shook her hand.

“And thank _you_ for gettin’ everyone out.”

Denny shook his head.

“You did the hard part.”

“Well, you thought pretty fast on your feet, too… Just make sure next time ya threaten to hand your little brother over to a giant it is actually a bluff, yeah?”

Denny laughed.

“Deal.” 

He nodded to Dani, then walked off. 

Just as Jamie was about to turn back around, she felt Dani hug her from behind and kiss the side of her head. Smiling, Jamie reached up to grip one of Dani’s arms. Dani jolted.

“Wait, Mikey’s his _brother_?!”

Jamie laughed.

“Oh yeah, didn’t ya notice the resemblance?”

Jamie leaned back onto Dani’s shoulder, then jolted herself.

“Shoes!” Jamie turned around to face her. “I need to find ya shoes.”

Dani smiled.

“Well, that should be easy... considering my feet are bigger than a child’s.”

For a moment, Jamie couldn’t believe what she’d heard.

“Oi!”

Smiling even wider now, Dani let go of her and started walking toward Bly.

“I learned from the best.”

Jamie shook her head, smiling, then cried out and bent over.

“Okay, first you’re going to lie down.”

Dani slipped Jamie’s arm over her shoulder and put her arm around Jamie’s waist, then started walking again.

“I haven’t... forgotten… by the way.”

“What?”

“When ma ribs... are no longer... shattered… we can go... wherever ya want… I promise.”

Dani smiled. She was already in a better place than she ever could have wished for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> This verse from the Into The Wood's Finale song didn't fit into this story, but thought it was quite fitting for Bly Manor's actual canon ending so wanted to share.
> 
> "Sometimes people leave you / Halfway through the wood. / Do not let it grieve you, / No one leaves for good."


End file.
